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Ford 6.0 stutter

Hi all, my new to me 2004 6.0L (automatic) started acting like it's hitting a rev limiter at 2200rpm. The first time it happened I was accelerating slowly and backed off the throttle before accelerating through again. On my way home it was constant rather than intermittent. As this happens there is white smoke (not steam) coming out the exhaust.

So, when it is stalling out the boost is at about 7PSI. At idle it's at .5PSI and at 3000 RPM in park it's 5PSI.

FICM voltage is 47.5 while cranking and 48-48.5 while running
ICV is .86 at idle and 1.5-1.8 while driving
ECT and EOT are within 4-8 degrees at 65mph

Don't know anything about the 6.0's, but it sounds like you aren't getting enough fuel. So that could be lots of things. Start small and with what was last touched. Bill is correct, join a 6.0 specific forum and do a little digging. How many miles have you put on it since you bought it?

I appreciate the quick responses. I posted on powerstroke.org yesterday but haven't gotten any responses. I've put about 150 miles on it since Wednesday and the only thing I've done was fill up the tank. After the first incident I put 1/3 bottle seafoam and 1/4 quart of clean ATF in it and topped off the tank and was going to give it some good highway pulls on it but never made it that far

Yeah, thought I had it fixed with the EGR. I put 30 miles on it and it was running better than ever, but still seems to be having the issue. i checked fuel pressure and it was 50psi at idle and 45 at WOT, which is the minimum. i did the blue spring update which pumped the fuel pressure up to 68 at idle and 58ish at WOT and it quieted the engine down noticeably.

That said, i'm still having the issue, when it happened earlier the gauge was showing 65psi at 2000 rpm and 40mp so I don't think it's related to fueling. I wish there was an easy way to check for a stuck VGT. I have also been told it could be a clogged exhaust back pressure sensor or bad IPR so I'll have to look into those as well

I pulled the turbo out and it seems likely that it was sticking given there is a silhouette of the vanes lmao....So, there was 1 bolt holding the turbo to the pedastal and the pedastal was not bolted in at all, truck is an 04 and PO swapped parts from an 04 donor truck...I'm guessing one of which was 03-04 and one was 04.5+. How do I figure out what's what so I can bolt my turbo in properly? Truck is also leaking oil down the passenger side but it seems likely it's just the turbo drain since it's probably flopping around while driving

Turbo must match the pedistal otherwise they swap year to year. Lots of guys swap early 03 turbos and pedistals on later trucks to get the super loud "6.0 whistle". Most of the trucks that come in only have one or two bolts holding the turbo to the pedistal. They fall out all the time and I find them in the valley. Bullet proof sells titainum bolts that don't loosen up. Missing pedistal hold down bolts is just from a lazy previous owner.

From the pics that turbo is trash. The vanes are beat to crap and fins on the exhaust wheel also look to be damaged on the edge. I'd be looking for a turbo. You didn't post a pic of the unison ring. At the very least replace that (they're cheap) and clean everything up so the vanes move easy in the housing/unison ring.

Set the pedistal on the turbo with everything off the truck and make sure the 3 mounting bolts line up.

Also the amount of black soot on the pedistal looks like an exhaust leak of some kind?

Turbo must match the pedistal otherwise they swap year to year. Lots of guys swap early 03 turbos and pedistals on later trucks to get the super loud "6.0 whistle". Most of the trucks that come in only have one or two bolts holding the turbo to the pedistal. They fall out all the time and I find them in the valley. Bullet proof sells titainum bolts that don't loosen up. Missing pedistal hold down bolts is just from a lazy previous owner.

From the pics that turbo is trash. The vanes are beat to crap and fins on the exhaust wheel also look to be damaged on the edge. I'd be looking for a turbo. You didn't post a pic of the unison ring. At the very least replace that (they're cheap) and clean everything up so the vanes move easy in the housing/unison ring.

Set the pedistal on the turbo with everything off the truck and make sure the 3 mounting bolts line up.

Also the amount of black soot on the pedistal looks like an exhaust leak of some kind?

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Thanks for the input. The unison ring actually looked like new and didn't even have much soot on it, which follows with the PO's story that the turbo was gone through 2k miles ago...but yeah, looks like the vanes and wheels needed work and there is definitely slop in the bearings as well.

After pricing out the cost of rebuilding it myself or paying for a rebuild, buying a reman (no guarantee that they do anything more than the bare minimum), and buying a new turbo I ordered a new one from Riffraff and it should come next week.

It seems like one or both exhaust connections were leaking, which would explain the soot and erratic turbo performance. I bought a turbo install kit with o rings and bolts and found that the bolts PO used to hold the turbo to the pedestal are actually the pedestal bolts; I'll use them to secure the pedestal since I have proper turbo bolts.

Thanks for the input. The unison ring actually looked like new and didn't even have much soot on it, which follows with the PO's story that the turbo was gone through 2k miles ago...but yeah, looks like the vanes and wheels needed work and there is definitely slop in the bearings as well.

After pricing out the cost of rebuilding it myself or paying for a rebuild, buying a reman (no guarantee that they do anything more than the bare minimum), and buying a new turbo I ordered a new one from Riffraff and it should come next week.

It seems like one or both exhaust connections were leaking, which would explain the soot and erratic turbo performance. I bought a turbo install kit with o rings and bolts and found that the bolts PO used to hold the turbo to the pedestal are actually the pedestal bolts; I'll use them to secure the pedestal since I have proper turbo bolts.

Stuff like what the PO did make me hate people more and more.

"Blow and Hookers can change the World. - Gags

Originally Posted by scottycards

MJ has no lethal dose. You might crawl under your couch and eat M&M's all day if you get too high, but it ain't gonna kill you.

After pricing out the cost of rebuilding it myself or paying for a rebuild, buying a reman (no guarantee that they do anything more than the bare minimum), and buying a new turbo I ordered a new one from Riffraff and it should come next week.

A true reman should be all needed to get it back to manufacturers specs (new bearings, etc) nearing the same as brand new. Rebuild is a minimum effort job. But as you point out, there's no guaranteeing the reman was truly a reman vs minimum effort job so good call to just get-r-done with a new one.

Also, doesn't look like PO went through the turbo at all, but just looked at it and called it good enough...half assed people throwing around incorrect words and impressions bring the suck...I can tolerate a stupid person better than a deceptive one....starting to rant about shit like that so better stop while I'm behind where I could take it.

Like I told you pre-purchase, even if you put another $10k in it you've gotten a deal and you have a truck that will last you.

Originally Posted by Colo.TJ

My dad just got T-boned in his pristine under 100K 6.0. He says the mechanics get excited when he brings it in for service. 😂

That's the plan. The diagnostic fees and labor on parts is the real killer on these trucks, hopefully I can save a lot by doing as much as I possibly can myself.

It's reassuring to know that I should be starting from a solid platform since the injectors aren't leaking, EGR cooler has been done, head studs have been done, new turbo... I will probably have to replace the factory plastic CAC up pipe but hopefully nothing else major.

Originally Posted by ASCTLC

A true reman should be all needed to get it back to manufacturers specs (new bearings, etc) nearing the same as brand new. Rebuild is a minimum effort job. But as you point out, there's no guaranteeing the reman was truly a reman vs minimum effort job so good call to just get-r-done with a new one.

Also, doesn't look like PO went through the turbo at all, but just looked at it and called it good enough...half assed people throwing around incorrect words and impressions bring the suck...I can tolerate a stupid person better than a deceptive one....starting to rant about shit like that so better stop while I'm behind where I could take it.

Originally Posted by ASCTLC

This!

Just enough to get it out the door

I could have done the bearings but it starts to get expensive when you include the cost of new vanes, new wheels, unison ring, VGT solenoid...

My dad just got T-boned in his pristine under 100K 6.0. He says the mechanics get excited when he brings it in for service. 😂

Insurance totaled out his truck. They offered him $15K or $11600 and he can keep the truck, which is the estimate to fix it. He's keeping the truck.

Also, 130,000 miles on it. Said there was no frame damage, so I think he's GTG w/ taking the lower amount and keeping the truck. $15K wouldn't put a dent in the down payment on a new F250 crew cab/diesel.